Her best friend's excited, expectant tone made Kaguya pause. Combined with her own dazed state, still immersed in her recent defeat, she didn't immediately grasp who Chika was referring to.
"Found who?" Kaguya asked instinctively.
A blissful smile spread across Chika's face, her expression one of pure joy.
"It's the boy who saved me last time! He really came to the Kendo Tournament, just as I thought."
"Eh? The tournament?" Only then did Kaguya realize who Chika meant.
But for a moment, she found it hard to believe.
"You... mean him?"
Kaguya pointed at Yusei on the television screen. At that moment, Yusei had already switched to the bamboo sword provided by the staff and was preparing to face his opponent.
Chika narrowed her eyes and nodded her little head vigorously, her expression one of great enjoyment, as if watching Yusei on TV brought her the greatest happiness.
Kaguya felt her brain couldn't keep up with the pace of events, 'What was going on? The boy who had saved me had also saved Chika?'
'And that person had used Kuzuryusen, the ultimate technique of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.'
Then, she suddenly recalled, when she had her bag snatched by thieves on motorcycles in front of the police station, she seemed to remember someone who seemed to use Shinsoku to retrieve her bag... and it also seemed to be this guy?
Only then did Kaguya realize that this boy seemed to be everywhere, and the most impressive instance was this one.
That low exclamation, 'Kuzuryusen', had already become an impactful memory for her.
Kaguya had shown extraordinary abilities since childhood… academics, sports, Kendo, tea ceremony, all were outstanding.
Among them, the Shinomiya Family inherited Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, so Kendo was the area where Kaguya put in the most effort and cared about the most out of all her achievements.
And she truly was a genius in this regard, except that among her peers, there was that annoying person, the young lady of the Okita Family.
But even so, in Kaguya's view, the other party was only on the same level as her.
But today, everything was shattered. First, Soji used some unknown [Mumyo Sandan-zuki], and then there was [Kuzuryusen].
She knew about Kuzuryusen, as it was the genuine Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's ultimate technique.
She was extremely unwilling to accept this!
Kaguya bit her red lips, sat down next to Chika, and watched Yusei on TV, who had already started fighting his opponent. An unyielding, competitive spirit burned in her eyes.
'Kuzuryusen... I will master it too!'
…
Kendo Tournament, Competition Arena.
Yusei, now changed into a Kendo uniform and holding a bamboo sword, faced his opponent, who was just an ordinary person without any family heritage.
Within roughly a few minutes, Yusei had scored countless points.
His opponent clearly realized he was being completely outclassed and felt quite helpless.
He was also a local Kendo enthusiast, having loved it since childhood, participating in tournaments and advancing through the rounds. But he never expected his opponent to be this skilled.
"I concede."
He raised his hand and called out to the referee. He understood that persisting would just be a waste of time.
Yusei nodded, "Thank you for the match."
The high school boy smiled wryly and shook his head, "It was you who taught me a lesson."
With that, he left the stage. He wanted to find a good spot to closely observe the upcoming match.
One was the powerful enemy who had defeated him, the other was Soji, granddaughter of the current Sword Saint, Okita Tomei.
This was a match that no Kendo enthusiast would want to miss.
After about twenty minutes of rest-
The individual competition of the Kendo Tournament finally reached its final match.
When Soji appeared in the same attire as before, the audience immediately erupted in cheers.
Her thrilling duel with Kaguya earlier had opened their eyes. Getting to see her again made them feel their ticket money was well spent.
Actually, for the Kendo Tournament, those who bought tickets were undoubtedly Kendo enthusiasts, followed by the competitors' classmates and relatives.
The two stood opposite each other. As before, Yusei had switched to a real sword, and Soji had done the same.
Yusei looked at the girl with the Saber-Face from his memories but didn't dare let his guard down.
She looked very cute, but in reality, she was a ruthless assassin. One moment of inattention, and the Mumyo Sandan-zuki would send him straight to hell.